Format
Bands are split into four classes—A, B, C, and D—determined by the size of the school the band represents, though bands are permitted to participate in the class immediately larger than the one they would otherwise be assigned to if they wish.
Prior to 1983, bands were assigned to one of seven District sites around the state. Bands receiving a Division I rating at their District advanced to State Preliminaries for their class, and the top five bands from each class preliminary performed in that class's State Finals the same evening. Beginning in 1983, State Preliminaries was removed, and instead bands receiving a Division I rating at District competition advanced to, depending on their geographic location, either the North Regional or South Regional for their class, two weeks after District. The top five bands from each regional in each class then advanced to State Finals the following week, resulting in ten bands per class at Finals. Numerical division ratings were replaced with Gold/Silver/Bronze/Participation ratings in 2004, but otherwise the format remained essentially unchanged through 2007.
Beginning in 2008, the top ten bands from each class at each Regional site will advance to a new Semi-State round of competition, held the week immediately following Regionals (historically the week that State Finals has been held). Of the twenty bands in each class at Semi-State, the top ten will then advance to State Finals the following week.
Read more about this topic: Indiana Marching Band State Finals